This invention relates to pill dispensers particularly suited for handling small pills and accurately dispensing one pill at a time. In particular, the invention relates to a dispenser in which the pills can be packaged by the manufacturer and subsequently stored, shipped and sold to the patient, with the dispenser package typically being a throw away item after the pills have been dispensed to the patient.
The present invention is particularly adapted for dispensing sequential pills, such as birth control pills (BCP). At times, patients are confused as to the sequence of the pills to be taken. In spite of the clear directions in the packet, the pills are sometimes taken in columns instead of rows, from downside to upside, or in the reverse direction.
In addition, many of the BCP dispensers are bulky and require a somewhat larger carrying space. The larger the dispenser, the greater the cost of producting the BCP case. One advantage of the pill dispenser of the present invention is its small size and ease of carrying, this increasing compliance.
Most importantly, the BCP case should reflect the population of the patients who are taking the pills, the majority of who are young females. Instead of the plastic matchbox look, the BCP case should have a unique shape to reflect the sophisticated patient who is taking the pills.
Therefore, disadvantages of the earlier dispensers include bulkiness, decrease in patient's compliance, possible high expenses in production, and difficulty in following the direction of the pills to be taken. Advantages of the present invention include uniqueness, small and easy to carry, increasing possible compliance, cheaper to manufacture, and pills taken in only sequential manner.